Artica:
Working through the latest fever, several cubes of freeze dried food taunted me. Placing one of each flavor in every bowl, this could change the starvation for everyone. Pouring boiling water over it, the recipe book to make them sat on my workbench. Waiting patiently for them to grow, this would have been my third attempt. The food began to bloom, childlike wonder brightened my eyes. Five bowls of steaming food rested in front of me, a sudden pang crippling me for a second. Brushing it off, an excited squeal burst from my lips as I spun around. Sage walked into me dancing around, embarrassment coloring my cheeks. His eyes flitted between the food and me, curiosity glinted in his eyes. Passing him a bowl of a beef stew, he accepted the fork cautiously. Sweating through another jolt of pain, my quivering smile nearly gave me away. Taking a bite, he gobbled the food down. Breathing a sigh of relief, everyone piled into the doorway. Inviting them to try it, this food would be a gift for long missions. Wolfston leaned on my shoulder, her ears tickling my neck. Focusing on my sweat drenched skin, my sports bra skirt clung a little too much.
"You need to breed soon. The only thing you are doing is hurting yourself." She warned me warmly, feeling my forehead. "The reaper side of you may be keeping the symptoms at bay but that can only last so long. Please, you are dropping weight faster than necessary. I am only saying this out of concern." Knowing that she was right, my death didn't have to warrant this. Wishing that it would stop, my to do list was still far too long for such an event.
"Let me fucking finish this first." I protested irritably, her eyes rolling. "I don't know if I could ever be ready so soon. I gave them that fertilizer to do this next step which gave me all the extra food." Excusing myself, my vision blurred. The hallway spun around me, my face meeting the concrete. Rough darkness stole me away, the heat pain striking me with a vengeance.
"Fuck." I groaned groggily, sitting up. Covering my eyes from the swinging yellow light of my room, my migraine throbbed violently. Glancing over at the cribs, the twins were nowhere to be seen. Sage sat naked at the end of my bed, sweat drenching his skin. How could I not notice how sick he was? His ability to mask his pain surpassed mine, the sex every time we had free time probably helping him out a bit. Pinning me to the bed, his claws ripped off my clothes. Luckily, that was my old skirt. Unable to resist his touch, every kiss sent my nerves into a frenzy. Stopping on my flat stomach, a sly grin danced across his lips. Let him do this, I told myself. Allowing his pain to subside would bring him back to full health and a much clearer mind.
"May I put a child in you? I can't wait any longer." He groaned gruffly, spreading my legs apart. Sucking on my swollen clit, short gasps poured from my lips. Curse this heat for making me extra sensitive, long moans pouring from my lips the moment his fingers danced to the same rhythm. My dripping turned into a flood, my body apparently betraying my common sense. A sudden jolt of pain shocked me, a scream of pain bursting from my lips. Cupping my mouth, a deep concern flashed on his face. Regretting my scream, he needed to get better even if it affected me at a small cost.
"Are you okay?" He asked gently, watching me get on my hands and knees. His cock needed to get inside of me, my primal instincts driving myself insane. Lining himself up, he was suffering more than me. Shoving him in, the sharp pain disappeared. Crying out each other's name, every wild buck sent waves of euphoria over us. Grabbing my tail, every tug caused me to purr under my breath. Two could play at this game, the desire to dominate him overtook me. Throwing him underneath me, a dazed look came across his face the moment I sank onto him. Bouncing up and down, he rubbed his hands on my flat stomach. Focused on breeding me, he needed a special push to turn him on further. My next words would wake the bear, my fate being sealed.
"Do you wish to plant another child in me, Master?" I purred seductively, swinging my hips in different patterns while hiding my desires vehemently. Rolling me underneath him, my breath hitched at his handsome face being so close to mine. Cupping my face, his lips pressed against mine hungrily. Sinking further into the moment, a satisfied groan escaped his lips. Tucking my hair behind my ear, he slid himself into me the moment his fangs pierced my skin. A small bit of apprehension stole a bit of the pleasure, his muscular chest pressing against my breast. snapping me out of my downward spiral. Grinding my hips with his, this position made sex feel safe. Holding my hands, our names bounced off the walls. Picking up speed, we only needed to be near each other. Getting closer to my climax, his next words certainly brought me there.
"Are you ready for my seed, Arty?" He whispered huskily, his cock throbbing three times before his hot seed filled me up. Collapsing on top of me, a blast of energy knocked everything off the shelf. Laying on his back, our fevers had subsided. Getting off the bed, mixed emotions weighed me down. Turning on the shower, exhaustion lay her greedy hands on me. Scrubbing off the fever's stench, my hand rested on my flat stomach. Rinsing the shampoo out of my hair, the fact the people were going to surround me the moment I stepped out of my bedroom aggravated me. Only three months had passed since I died which would put the age difference between them at about twelve to fifteen months depending on how the pregnancy chose to proceed. Stepping out of the shower, Sage passed me a towel. Snatching it from him, silent tears streamed down my chins. If there could ever be a moment for a black feather, it would be now. Ignoring him, my mind had to work through everything. Entering our bedroom, my shaking fingers tugged on my scarlet sweater dress. Shoving my feet into my boots, a black feather floated in front of me. Grabbing the letters, I let the feather take me to the land of the reaper's. Landing into a plush armchair, a fireplace roared to life. Albert walked in with a pile of letters in his hands, his robes dancing in the slight breeze from the outside. Taking in the dark wooden walls and river stone fireplace, he had a picture of us on the mantle. Rubbing the leather on my chair, he plopped down across from me. His hair had grown into a wild mess, the poor guy blowing it out of the way. That was unless he liked it that way, his personality leading to that.
"Would you like a haircut? " I inquired with a nervous smile, a pensive expression haunting his lips. "Stop looking at me like that. Nothing is wrong with me." Taking my hands, a wicked grin danced across his lips. Swapping piles of letters, he flipped through them. Mumbling under his breath, his brow cocked in my direction. What was he thinking about? Sensing the cogs of his mind grinding a mile a minute, my face paled at his next question.
"When were you going to tell me about your new little gift in your womb?" He teased playfully, his face falling at my expression. "You seem a little upset that your system reset after you died. I saw you getting pregnant three months earlier. Nah, I kind of like my hair. I need to brush it and that is that. Don't you dare cut it! If I am annoyed by one thing, you have a habit of needing things at an inopportune time. You woke me from a nap with your request for a feather after all." Snapping my fingers, his hair returned to normal. The cut hair floated to the floor, his eyes narrowing in my direction. If he was going to play the bratty kid card, then I could bite back twice as hard.
"Fuck you." I snapped hotly, the leather of his chair groaning as he leaned forward. "I wasn't ready! It made Sage sick again and now I have to bring another demonic reaper child into this world! You wouldn't understand." Setting the letters aside, he pulled out my book. Flipping through it, a sigh of relief escaped his lips. Setting it underneath his chair, he pressed his palms together. How did he manage to find a way to look menacing yet friendly at the same time?
"Are you going to name it something to the tune of Alfred?" He begged with a Cheshire Cat grin, his eyes falling on my flat stomach. "I appreciate you being the messenger. May I hide you a little longer to show off my humble abode?" Popping to his feet, he offered me his hand. Tucking the letters into my boot, my fingers curled around it cautiously. Taking me through dark wooden hallways, he pointed to the plush bed in a small bedroom. It looked like the afterlife was treating him better, a heavy cloak falling into my arms. What the hell was this for? Jesus, you save the reapers once and they won't shut up about it.
"What's with the cloak?" I growled through gritted teeth, my mood not improving. "I have a heavy ar-" Wagging his finger in the air, he floated upside down. Curse his carefree attitude, a low growl rumbled in my throat.
"That is your personal reaper's cloak gifted to you by all of us. You really saved the day last time." He explained calmly, landing on his bed. "It has the power of invisibility and a bullet proof exterior. We reapers need you to be safe in case something else happens again." Letting out a long breath, the cloak had to come with a catch. Waiting impatiently for me to put it on, I threw it on with a pissed off smile.
"May I go home n-" I began, his head shaking silencing me. Pulling out another box of high grade ingredients, he set them into my arms gently. Pulling out a feather out of thin hair, he pressed it into my palm. A flurry of feathers transported me into the middle of the hall, everyone surrounding me. Dropping the box into Wolfston's eager hands, eager eyes watched me pass the letters out to each person. A loud growl from my stomach painted my face with embarrassment while another low growl rumbled in my throat. Slamming Sage's envelopes into his hands, his protests fell on deaf ears as I returned back to the kitchen. Rolling up my sleeve, my reaper's eye began to sting. The damn thing always had to do this after traveling back, my body not being quite used to it yet. Focusing on the recipe in front of me, Steph popped up next to me. A tray of perfectly dried cubes rested on a tray, her eyes meeting mine. Shooting me an annoyed glare, her hands cupped mine. When would everyone stop caring so much? Space, I needed space.
"You need to speak to Sage. He has been beside himself all afternoon." She chastised me, my eyebrow twitching. "I am almost done with the dry food, so please go talk to your husband." She wasn't wrong, bags of equal amounts sat on the counter. Yelling out the words nice cloak as I left, my head smashed into a fuming Sage. Reny and Lapy rested in their slings, his hand dragging me to our bedroom. Sitting me down on the bed, his wet hair clung to his face. Pacing back and forth, his shorts fluttered with each step. Tugging at his tank top, his fists clenched over and over again. Here comes another outburst from my husband where we would scream and make up in a couple of days at the latest.
"Why did you run away!" He roared thunderously, placing the twins in their crib. "Why is your first response to run when it comes to personal issues! I don't understand you. Didn't you say you wanted loads of kids!" Wincing with every word, his foot tapped incessantly. Tears welled up in my eyes, my anxiety growing by the second. Continuing to yell at me, his words faded in and out. Touching my eyes, inky sludge poured from my reaper's eyes. Stopping his rant, his steady hands wiped the sludge from underneath my eye. If I was being honest, I lacked the energy to fight. Understanding his concern, guilt began to eat at me.
"I am sorry." I apologized profusely, salty tears mixing with the sludge. "I am scared, okay!" The sludge slowed to a stop, a broken smile meeting mine. Clutching me close to his chest, my tears soaked his shoulder. Playing with my hair, my ears pinned back. What was he doing?
"That's my girl. Just come to me next time." He comforted me with his husky tone, his lips kissing the top of my head. "I can't wait for this one. Besides, isn't it better than being sick?" Lifting up my chin with his finger, pride swelled in his eyes as his other hand slid down to my stomach. Kissing my lips sweetly, a tender blush rose to my cheeks. Resting my head on his chest, tears of joy soaked the top of my head. Wolfston burst in with her typical lack of manners, Sage knowing to back up. Forcing me to sit on the bed, the icy blue of her sweater was all I could focus on as her hand hovered over my stomach Shooting her a death glare, the annoyance was ever clearer in her face. Her words were entering my ears but not registering in my brain, a slap to my face snapping me out of my endless train of thought.
"Did you hear a damn thing?" She barked with pure aggravation lacing her tone. "I said you need to be careful. Are you mentally stable? I am constantly seeing you space out and cry for no reason half the time." Averting my gaze to the floor, Mink's hand curled around my ankle. Every breath grew shorter, the thought of facing her again taking me out of the conversation. No matter how hard I fought, she seemed twice as strong. Every breath grew shorter, the room spinning around me. Clutching my chest, clammy sweat drenched my skin. My stomach began to twist into knots, the memory of her touching me causing severe nausea. Pushing my way through them, the hand holding me tripped me. Catching me before I hit the floor, the hallucination faded away.Taking a deep breath none of this was real, all the contents of my stomach spilled across the floor. What was it about her that scared me this much? Why couldn't I beat her? Another bout struck me, Wolfston placed a bucket underneath my chin, more contents clunking into the bottom. Sage began to pick up the vomit on the floor, his intense gaze never leaving me. Bowing my head in shame, everything felt off. Struggling to my feet, I leaned against the bed. Resting my wrists on my knees, the room was still spinning. Taking a couple of deep breaths, everything returned to normal. Taking off my cloak, the sweater dress felt odd to me.
"I need to get that food from that church. Can you get me the ingredients from the list?" I asked groggily, writing them down on the pad from underneath my bed. "I am going to teleport there. Once I get there, I will only be gone for a day. Wolfston will be coming with me to drop off the medicine and to explain it all to Father Ash. There is a flu of some sort blasting its way through the kids at the orphanage. Get me the ingredients in ten minutes." Rising to my feet, my sweater dress floated to the floor. Tugging on my tank top and skirt, Sage's protests fell on deaf ears once more. Pulling on my sweatshirt, the cloak felt like a warm blanket over my shoulders. Scooping up the twins, they reached for my breasts. Taking them out, they began to feed to their heart's content. Passing them back to Sage, I had work to do.
"Why can't I come!" Sage demanded furiously, pacing back and forth. "Doesn't transporting like that make it impossible for you to move! I can't keep you s-" Putting my hand in the air, Wolfston scrambled out of the room. Now that I had his full attention, his icy death glare could be felt from a mile away.
"I was going to invite you. I think he would like to see the twins. As of late, you know we can't leave without being watched. Part of the spell is a redirecting one that Mink can't get herself out of." I explained calmly, his expression softening. " Ash called me through Mouse's computer saying that they needed medicine and that they cut the orphanage's food supply in half. Those cubes I have been making will keep saving them. I owe his father a lot. So let me repay my debt to them. Eventually, I would like to make enough for the poor people but that is all I can afford to do right now. The children come first and then the people. Each one of those bags will get them through a couple of years. Do you see it now?" Fixing my hair, Wolfston came in with a cart of everything I needed. Dropping the different rocks and herbs into the bowl, Sage rolled his eyes as I cut my palm. Dripping my blood into the bowl, I pressed my palms together.
"Powers of the reaper and my dear fox friend, make a crystal that can take me anywhere I need to go." I chanted shakily, my hair floating up. The ingredients floated into the air, an onyx crystal landed in my palm. Wiping the blood and sludge off of my face, it was time to test it out. Steph rushed in with the dried food, a nervous grin twitching on her lips. Packing everything into a box, Wolfston scooped it up. Allowing the crystal to absorb my blood, I became its master. This would allow me to travel freely without the usual side effects, the cut on my palm sealing shut. Drawing a circle around all of us, Steph hung back. Waving goodbye, one tap had us in Father Ash's church. A heavily pregnant Havianna wandered in with her silky ice blue nightgown, an exhausted Ash smashing into me. Coughing echoed down the hall, Wolfston rushing off to help them with medicine. Thanking God that I got here in time, his weary smile never left his face. The world around me began to spin, a rough darkness stealing me away.